NEW YORK (TIP): NYC Health + Hospitals, on June 30, announced that five of its physicians were among 64 providers across 22 states and 34 specialties named to Castle Connolly’s inaugural list of ‘Top LGBTQ+ Doctors’ for their outstanding expertise, patient care, and contributions to the field of health care. The physicians who made the list were all nominated by their peers and then evaluated for criteria including professional reputation, hospital appointments, and education. Castle Connolly is a health care directory that helps patients find providers. Their ‘Top LGBTQ+ Doctor’ distinction, in partnership with GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ+ Equality, is part of their efforts to make it easier for people to find providers who have shared backgrounds and experiences. The five honorees from NYC Health + Hospitals are:
Gregory L. Almond, MD
Chair of Emergency Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan
Richard E. Greene, MD
Co-Founder, Pride Health Center
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Margaret Kemeny, MD
Director, Queens Cancer Center
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens
Robert A. Pitts, MD
Co-Founder, Pride Health Center and Infectious Disease Specialist
NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue
Warren M. Seigel, MD
Chair of Pediatric and Director of Adolescent Medicine
NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health (formerly Coney Island)
Dr. Almond oversees the Emergency Department at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, a full-service community hospital located in East Harlem. He’s been a member of the NYC Health + Hospitals family for over 20 years, completing his residency at Harlem and Metropolitan hospitals through their affiliation with the New York Medical College. Dr. Almond is now an Associate Professor of Clinical Emergency Medicine at his alma mater.
“I am truly grateful to Castle Connolly for acknowledging the immense hurdles that LGBTQ+ individuals often face in achieving success in their respective fields. I feel incredibly fortunate to have never felt held back during my thirty plus years at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan or New York Medical College,” said Dr. Almond. “As an LGBTQ+ staff member, I hope that I have been able to serve as a positive role model for others who may be experiencing challenges. Working as an academic administrative physician at this wonderful teaching hospital, I am proud that my students and residents that rotate through our Emergency Department are respectful to all regardless of any lifestyle or other differences. Thank you again for this recognition.”
Dr. Greene is the Director of LGBTQ+ Clinical Services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. He’s also an Associate Program Director for the Primary Care Residency Program and a Professor of Medicine at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
“What a thrill to be chosen as one of the first LGBTQ+ doctors recognized by Castle Connolly and GLMA,” said Dr. Greene. “This distinction will make it easier for the LGBTQ+ community to find providers and access care that fits their needs.”
Dr. Kemeny has been the Director of the Queens Cancer Center at NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens since 2001. She’s also one of the first female surgical oncologists in the U.S. Her career is distinguished by years of innovative clinical and laboratory research and by a technique she developed for treating patients with metastatic cancer in the liver, involving administering chemotherapy to patients through a pump delivered into the main artery of the organ.
“I am deeply honored to be recognized as a top LGBTQ+ physician by Castle Connolly,” said Dr. Kemeny. “The fact is that we are now living through exceedingly difficult times for many in the LGBTQ+ community, and quality, compassionate healthcare is something every human being is entitled to. The Queens Cancer Center sees an enormously diverse patient population, and it is a place where we make everyone feel welcome and valued. I appreciate Castle Connolly’s acknowledgment of the important work I and many other physicians are doing for members of this community.”
Dr. Pitts is the Medical Director for the Pride Health Center at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, responsible for the care of over four hundred patients, delivering comprehensive gender-affirming services for New Yorkers. He is the co-investigator of a newly launched initiative called “EquiPrEP”, which is centered around equity to address social determinants of health while simultaneously rolling out long-acting injectable PrEP among priority populations vulnerable for HIV infection. Dr. Pitts is a founding member on the NYC Health + Hospitals Pride Council, responsible for maintaining excellent gender-affirming care across the health system.
“Providing gender-affirming equitable care is one of the great joys of my life, personally and professionally,” said Dr. Pitts. “As a queer doctor in the largest municipal health care system in the United States, it’s an incredible honor to be recognized by Castle Connolly and GLMA as a LGBTQ+ Top Doctor.”
Dr. Seigel not only runs pediatrics and adolescent medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health, he also serves as the Chair of the New York State chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Seigel has been caring for Brooklyn’s youngest residents for over 30 years and is now training the next generation of pediatricians studying at the SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.
“Named as a Top LGBTQ+ Doctor on Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors list, is indeed an honor,” said Dr. Seigel. “Ensuring that our LGBTQ+ pediatric and adolescent patients have a sense of belonging when receiving care at NYC Health + Hospitals/South Brooklyn Health is one of my top priorities as provider.”
About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest municipal health care system in the nation serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city’s five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system’s trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlus health plan—all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 43,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.